Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Namesake (Part 2)

Ashima and Ashoke are still waiting for Ashima's grandmothers' letter with the choices of names for their baby. While they are still waiting for the letter the hospital says they are ready to discharge Ashima and the baby. The hospital tells them that they cannot leave without giving the baby a name to put on his birth certificate. Ashoke explains their situation to the processor and the processor gives them two choices. They can either have "Baby Boy Ganguli" on the certificate and pay for the baby's real name to put on it when their ready or they can name him something for the time being and not pay. They decide to name him something that has significance. In the Bengali culture each child has a pet name or nickname. Ashima and Ashoke believes that the name that they give him will only be a pet name. They try to think of something significant and they come up with Gogol: the English author whose book Ashoke was holding when he had his near death experience. After the processor records the name Gogol Ganguli they are able to take little Gogol out into America. Later on Ashima gets news from home that her grandmother has had a stroke; her right side is paralyzed and she can no longer remember anything including the names for baby Gogol.

Quote: "When Ashima and Ashoke see their son's pet name typed on the label of a prescription for antibiotics, when they see it at the top of his immunization record, it doesn't look right; pet names aren't meant to be made public in this way."

Question: Now that Ashima and Ashoke are no longer able to get the names from her grandmother will they keep Gogol's name the same?

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